 Friday, December 19, 2008
Here in the Northeast, we are being hit with a snowstorm. It's days like this when one longs for sunny climes, palm trees, and clear green seas. Imagine you were floating along and found a bottle bobbing in the water. You open and quickly read it. What does it say? READ asked students this question in a recent issue. Here is a sampling of what we received, via email, not by message in a bottle!
By Logan A.
Well, if you have found this bottle you are probably stranded at sea or on a beach somewhere. And is probably your last hope of living or last contact with humanity. This probably won't help you much but I am going to tell you anyway. I am also stranded on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
This is a very large island with a volcano in the middle of it. If you see it then you need to do whatever you can to get to it. This island has plenty of fresh water running through it, also it has many fruits and an enormous abundance of wildlife to kill and eat. If you need these things for survival then you need to get here. I have a continuous fire going so if you se smoke then that's the island that I have been stranded on for three years now and it is January 7, 2006. If you are on a beach somewhere then send help. I am ready to come home. I got here after my private aircraft crashed and I was lucky enough to eject myself from the plane. So if you can please help. I have been living of the land for three years and I am sick of it, I need help. Also if you do find me on this island I have found a huge treasure. This treasure is solid gold, copper, silver and bronze. So it is worth quite a bit, I found this treasure in the bottom of a cave on the island. I have collected all of it and have a total of 137 copper coins, 101silver coins, 66 solid gold coins, and 237 bronze coins. Also there is a large silver monument in the shape of a king, which could be 45 feet tall. This is not even counting the 337 bronze bars. They were scattered among the coins and have been engraved with some form of Aztec writing, which means they are thousands of years old. If you do come and somehow find me and help me back to the United States I will split the profits with you 50-50.
Also I have struck oil in the center of the island, I was digging one day trying to make an animal trap and I stumbled upon oil. I have no idea how much oil costs but I will also split the amount if you find me. To give you an estimation of where I am located, I am approximately 250 miles of the coast of California. I am directly west of Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco according to my compass. If you are stranded I have plenty of food and water for you so don't just float by.
The island can be hard to spot if floating from the north to the island due to the huge boulders which line the northern border of the island. You won't be able to tell there is any island at all until at all until you are almost past it. There are several pelican nests on these boulders. If you see several birds flying around, try to direct yourself right toward them. (You won't crash into them; there is a small beach.) Also beware there are several great white sharks that inhabit the waters. Along with the sharks there are several jagged rocks lining the water which will easily pop and sink a raft. This won't be good because they are stuck right in the middle of the shark infested waters.
Along with half of the profits that I mentioned, I will also give the person who rescues me a five $5,000 cash reward. And I have found a few new species of deer, and a yellow species of turtle which has a soft shell. You will also get credit for finding these animals. I have also discovered a new breed of panther which is purple and I have killed 37 and have saved the fur. This should be worth quite a bit of money to also split with you. When you arrive on the island, I will more than likely be on the north side of the island where the huge boulders are near my fire and the place where I sleep. Beware of the dangerous animals on the island.
By Amanda Curry
Dear hopeful reader,
I've been on this stupid island for quite some time now. I've lived here very alone since the day that the plane crashed. I was on my way to America when out pilot had a severe heart attack, the entire plane filled with hundreds of people came crashing down onto this island. Out of several hundred people I was the one that survived. It's usually always sunny here but when it rains here it pours!
Although it is very beautiful and welcoming here I have no one to make company with me. The island isn't very big I've explored as much as I can. There are no locals--there is no one else here at all. I am stranded on this island working day by day to get through this adventure. My days here are always the same.
I wake up to find fire wood and then I go off to hunt for my meals, which is usually just once a day. Usually for a meal I have fish or maybe a small animal if I am lucky. After hunting I fix my dinner over my fire. Once done with cooking I usually keep adding to the fire just to keep my smoke signals going. For a bed I have burrowed into the sand and laid leaves into it. Intertwining leaves cover me for a pitiful blanket. I really hate it here. I pray every night that I'll just wake up from this horrible dream but I haven't awoken yet. Every day here just makes me feel closer and closer to the end of my life. The nightmare I live is something I never want anyone to ever experience. The only thing that I look forward to each day is going to sleep to dream of my dear family and friends. I hope that my friends and family are praying for me and I hope that no matter what happens they'll make it just fine.
My gorgeous husband will look after my two girls and I know he'll be strong. I try to imagine them living a happy life but it's hard to picture living every minute without them. I miss them so very much. I'm hoping that someday soon I will reunite with them and live my life like I should. My hope is soon to run short and I'm afraid I will go insane. My mind will no longer have control of my every decision and I will have no reason in my mind to attempt to live any longer. So I beg of anyone who reads my pitiful message in a bottle to send me hope and revive my life and bring me home. Life on this island is hell. The only goal I have achieved since lifelessly crashing into this horrid island is that I've pushed myself harder than I ever wanted to, I think of my family everyday to keep myself alive. The terror I suffer through each and every day makes it hard to have faith.
Though I want to live I never know if my family is still alive. They might have died in an accident by now and I never would know but I hope that God keeps his eye on them. When I arrived here my hair was dirty brown and I weighed about 170 pounds, with very pale skin. Since living here I now am getting grey hairs intertwined with my beautiful blonde locks. My skin is now dark and leathery because of the sun beating down on every inch of my body every day for about three months now. I have lost a lot of weight and I believe as of now I'm weighing around 115 pounds. The wrinkles that the sun's vicious rays has caused me makes me seem 10 years older than what I really am.
I am begging my reader to take me away from this place. I will never complain about anything ever again. The experiences I've taken in have taught me so much about who I am and also to be thankful of everything I have in my life. Sometimes I think that I've died and gone to hell for the things I did. I don't believe that hell could be anything worse than this if it's not. I've thought so many things and tried to make myself believe in something else, and the real truth that I know is by far the worst option I've come up with. I don't know how many of these messages I'm going to send. I guess until I run out of paper and bottles. I really anticipate my rescuer to come and save me as soon as you find this. I will praise you forever and there will be a big reward I'm sure for finding me and making sure I make it home safely. Thanks again for opening this up and giving me more hope. I hope to meet you soon.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008
In READ's survival issue, we told you to visit us today to see "Doll Face," an engaging character in a wonderful film by director Andrew Thomas Huang. Enjoy! |
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
In READ's survival issue, we told you to visit us today to see Steven Frank's mini-miniseries episode of "Mnemonic Man." Well, here you are... and here it is!
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Tuesday, December 16, 2008
... The ending to the story "The Interlopers" by H.H. Munro that is. In the December 12 issue, READ editors published the story of two enemies brought together by the need to survive a hunting trip gone bad. They barely made it through their ordeal only to meet with wolves in the end. But was that the end? We'll never truly know what transpired, but it is fun to think about. These students provided their own endings to the story. Read on through these endings and find the good, the bad, and the bloody.
1.
The wolves were running faster and faster as they neared the men. Georg could hardly see them running down the mountain, so Ulrich shouted out and told Georg not to worry because he had a plan. Ulrich shouted at the wolves to draw near him instead of Georg, and three of the five wolves did. Ulrich spread his arm out further than his max expansion and grasped his knife from his coat pocket. Ulrich had half of his left arm with his knife in it and stabbed one wolf to send him off whimpering. The other two wolves jumped on Ulrich causing him to loose his knife. The wolves were shredding through the men's coats, as kaabooooom! Kabooooom! was heard echoing throughout the forest. Georg's men arrived in the knick of time to kill two of the wolves and sending the other two sprinting into the forest. The men scurried down to the prisoners under the tree to release their misery. As the men approached, they realized that Ulrich, their enemy was lying beside their boss. They threatened to kill him, as Georg shouted "No!" because they had become friends while lying in the forest. Georg's men released the two men under the tree and the men began telling their very fortunate story.
-- Joseph Jones
2.
"Wolves? You can't be serious Ulrich! You must have too much blood in your eyes!" Georg laughed nervously.
"No. I'm afraid not. I'm sorry, friend," Ulrich sighed with exhaustion.
"Maybe, just maybe, we can make it out of this. If we work together," Georg struggled for breath, his lungs squished by the tree.
Out of nowhere, Ulrich's men appeared. They helped him get free. Georg got very quiet, then spoke again.
"Ulrich, have you freed yourself?"
"Yes, Georg, I have. My men are here. They have helped me," Ulrich smiled.
"Then you can free me too!" Georg yelled in excitement.
"Ahh, that is where you are wrong, my friend. I have waited far too long to own this land. I'm not going to lose that chance by helping you now!" Ulrich laughed evilly.
"But Ulrich! Please!" Georg pleaded, but it was too late.
Ulrich and his men raced off, away from the wolves, and away from the tree. Georg's shrieks of pain and his constant begging for help eventually faded into the darkness. Then, in the blink of an eye, Ulrich tripped over a tree root and hit the ground with a loud thunk.
"Men! Come help me! I have fallen!" Ulrich yelled. His head throbbed, and he couldn't feel his leg. As he felt it his hand brushed along a huge gouge, and something else that was very sharp.
"Argh! My leg is broken! Someone, come help me!" He yelled again.
No one responded. He couldn't even hear Georg anymore.
But there was one thing he could hear-the howling of wolves and the pattering of feet-getting nearer and nearer.
--Aly O
3.
The wolves began to circle and stalk their prey. Ulrich could see their blood thirsty eyes pierce through him like a bullet. Wait, Ulrich still had his rifle! He slowly reached for it, his fingers inches away, but he was too late. A wolf lunged, latching himself onto Ulrich’s neck. Georg struggled to help his new friend, but the wolf backed away from Ulrich’s limp body and then turned to him. Out of nowhere, a bullet ripped through the wolf's flesh. Georg looked up to see Ulrich’s family. Before he could say anything, they shot him!
--Samantha U.
4.
They just stood there, watching the two men lying helplessly. About fifteen minutes past, but they were still there. The wolves could have taken them for dinner by now. At first, the larger wolf that seemed to be the pack's leader started to step back. Ulrich whispered as if he was out of breath, "Why don't they attack? They seem as if there too shy to approach us." Georg just lay there, trying to see, but his eyes were glued shut with the dried blood. "The largest wolf is walking away," explained Ulrich. "And the other wolves are following. There completely gone now." Now they had another dilemma. Georg and Ulrich were still wounded with nothing to eat or drink. The bottle of wine was dropped and was too far to reach. Even if Ulrich hadn't have dropped it, the wine wouldn't go very far thirst wise. Help!
Hours that seemed like days passed, but neither group spotted the two immobilized men. "Help!" cried Georg. Ulrich said, "On the count of three." The two men lay there, determined to be released. "Help!" they both cried at once. It seemed to get dark all of a sudden. "It's almost dark," said Ulrich. "How are the troops going to find us now?"
The morning came, and the two men were still there. A loud sound woke them up. Georg spotted a vine on the ground. Wait, it wasn't a vine. It's moving! "A snake!" he whispered. All of a sudden, they heard a bark. When Ulrich looked up, he saw that it was the pack of wolves, but this time, they were dashing straight at Georg and Ulrich. They were almost there, but all of the wolves stopped. "They are for sure peace makers. The wolves are back and they are right in front of me," said Ulrich. It was true. If the leader had taken one more step, he would have been on the tree that held Ulrich and Georg on the dirt that was making their clothes and hair dirty. The wolves were followed by a group of people. They were saved!
-- Melanie A.
5.
The beast came running through the forest as fast as it could. The wolves, slobber dripping down their face, ran straight for Georg Znaeym. George broke off a branch from the tree that had fallen on him and Ulrich. He started swinging at the blood thirsty wolves. He crushed one in the head and killed it instantly. The others started jumping on him and he struggled to hold them off. Then all of a sudden these men showed up and shot all the wolves and killed a big percentage of them, before the rest ran off. These men ran to both of the trapped men and they told them, "Hang on we will have you out in no time. The two men grasped their wounded bodies. A man cames back with an axe and chainsaw and they started going to town on this huge tree. They finally got these men out and dragged them to an open area, where the two men united.
--Bradley Wallace
6.
The wolves were about 30 meters away. They looked thin, probably starving. Ulrich glanced at Georg with terror in his eyes. If there was any thinking to do, it was now. He glanced at the wolves. They had stopped and started to sniff the air, hungrily. They looked at Ulrich. He glanced away quickly, knowing that if he looked them straight in the eye, they would consider it a threat. The wolves started to prance to where Georg and Ulrich were lying, helplessly. Since Ulrich's one arm was free, he tried to reach into his sachel for his pocket knife. Georg barely saw that the wolves were just now only about 10 meters away and he told Ulrich to hurry. Ulrich could barely touch the handle of his knife when he was startled by a low growl. He slowly looked up. Right above him, staring him straight in the eye, was one of the largest wolves he had ever saw. His huge, yellow teeth reeked of rotting meat and death. His saliva was dripping off of his teeth onto Ulrich's face. He dare not to move. But as he was staring at the wolf's dainty, green eyes, he slowly reached into his sachel for his knife. All of a sudden, he heard Georg scream. Another wolf was about to bite into his leg. Ulrich retrieved his pocket knife and stabbed the vicious beast in the leg, sending it off of himself. The wolf gave off a yelp that sounded eerie and dark. The pack started to retreat. Far off in the distance, Georg heard Ulrich's party searching for them. At last, they were saved. He now knew not to put an unnessesary dispute between he and his neighbor, for it can turn out deadly.
-- Mara M.
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